An Evening with Elaine Turner

On November 5th Elaine Turner of Elaine Turner, gave the members of Women of Wardrobe a sneak peak into her new YouTube reality show Elaine's Big Life, and talked about her business, brand, and life at large. WOW members were welcomed with wine, champagne and small bites at the Elaine Turner store in Rice Village. It was a dreary and cold day in Houston, but fashionistas and professional women alike braved the weather to see the native Texan, and successful fashion entrepreneur that is Elaine Turner.

There was a camera man and sound guy, no doubt part of the crew filming Elaine's Big Life, which added even more to the excitement and anticipation for the lady of the evening. Once Elaine arrived it was all eyes on her. We were filled in on style tips for the new season, introduced to some new products and styles in the store, and got a first look at Elaine's Big Life. The show reveals a behind the scenes look at Elaine and her team hard at work, and all the sweat equity that goes into creating a successful and impactful business. Afterward the floor was open for a little Q&A, which was my favorite part of the evening. Here are all the A's to Elaine's Q's, all paraphrased and in no particular order.

What is your proudest accomplishment? Being able to turn my business into something bigger that supports causes and has an impact.

What attributes to your success? I'm lead by a quiet confidence and listening to my instincts.

What is your favorite restaurant? Brennans.

What is your passion? To raise awareness of worthy causes and bring women together.

As a woman in business what's your biggest struggle? Not trying to be something I'm not. I'm working hard on giving my clients authentic, and quality products.

What is a mistake you've made in the past? In wholesale listening too much to what buyers wanted from the brand and making products that weren't in alignment with what the customer wanted.

What's next for you? Continue on the path to delivering an authentic brand message that conveys the right emotions when you walk into the store, and being able to replicate those same feeling in every store.

I found her answers refreshing because Elaine really seemed to embody the spirit of authenticity, lifting up others, bringing women together, and supporting your community. She didn't talk figures, or conquering the competition, when you are true to your vision and stay in your lane, it doesn't matter what anyone else is doing. This is a great lesson for all women, men, and entrepreneurs. This Texas girl did it, you can too.

P.S-There will be a new Elaine Turner opening on San Felipe and Post Oak